1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the application of index tabs. Specifically, the invention provides an assembly and method of customizing the application of index tabs to dividers and other kinds of indexing documents.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Many examples of the application of index tabs to dividers and other types of indexing material are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,511, for example, discloses an indexing system for attachment to filing folders, index cards, planning boards or other similar filing/organizing systems. The patent includes an elongated, rectangular strip having an adhesive portion for attaching the strip to an edge of a folder, index card or board. The indexing system also includes index tabs with ends which are bent towards each other so that the tabs are slidably retained on the strip. The tabs are therefore movable along the strip so that they can be positioned by a user.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,080, discloses a system for accurately positioning index tabs along the free side of a page with respect to the top and bottom and with respect to each other on additional pages. The system has a strip and a set of index tabs. The strip having the index tabs is applied to the page onto which the index tabs are to appear, in the same position with respect to the top and bottom as is desired for the index tabs to appear on other pages. The top and bottom of the strip are folded over the top and bottom of the page, respectively. An index tab is then removed from the strip, and using the next index tab as a guide, is affixed to one face of the page. The index tab is then folded in half to complete the placement of the index tab, with one half affixed to one face of the page and the other half affixed to the opposing face.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,487, discloses a system of placing index tabs in which a separator page is provided having a series of slots positioned on one edge. The system includes index tabs which have a top part and a bottom part, the top part including a receptacle for a label, and the bottom part including a pair of ears for placement into the slots. An index tab is placed on the separator sheet by inserting the ears into the slots, thereby providing a secure method of holding an index tab in place. Index tabs can therefore be placed in slots in different positions on multiple separator pages along the edge of each separator page as desired by the user.
In one variation of the '487 patent, a marginal strip is placed over an edge of the separator page. The marginal strip includes at least one layer of adhesive that is used to apply the strip to the edge of the separator page. The marginal strip includes a plurality of slots placed in parallel relation to each other. In another variation, the marginal strip also has a plurality of slots, as well as curved edges which are used to slide the marginal strip over the edge of the separator page. In both variations, index tabs are applied to the separator pages by inserting the ears into the slots and positioning the index tabs as desired on the separator pages.